The presence and movement of opaque bodily fluids such as blood generally make in vivo imaging of tissue regions within a patient difficult. Medical devices may therefore, in some cases, be used to visualize interior regions of a patient's body by depicting a visual construct. For example, ultrasound devices may be used to produce in vivo ultrasound images from within a body. In another example, mapping devices having position sensors for generating a map depicting a two- or three-dimensional image of a patient's interior region may also be used. Visual information provided by such devices can often be limited because, for example, the mapping device may not be able to provide visual information of the tissue surface condition within a heart chamber. Thus, there is a need for medical devices that can provide improved visualization for viewing a blood-filled cavity or vessel within the patient.
Medical devices may, in some cases, use an inflatable imaging balloon to obtain in vivo imaging of the patient's tissue regions. The imaging balloon can be introduced into the patient's body in a deflated state. Once introduced, the imaging balloon can be inflated and pressed against a targeted tissue region for imaging. Imaging can be achieved by use of an optical fiber or other electronic apparatus for viewing tissue through the wall of the inflated balloon.
Imaging balloons may encounter issues that affect the quality of the image being captured. For example, because of intervening blood between the balloon and tissue, imaging balloons may produce poor or blurred tissue images if the balloon is not firmly pressed against the tissue surface.